skate in the city

Steph Lightfoot, intrepid Natives reporter and employee, reports on how FNS can still give you a buzz while your stuck between season in London:

'Like many season workers just returned from the winter, I'm now back in the UK, dusting my skis and (albeit temporarily) facing up to the grim horror of 'Real Life'!

There's no snow, no mountains, and the city is simply too big, too hot and too busy. But determined to make the most of it, and find 'Unreal Life' in London, I recently stumbled onto something that nearly lives up to what I miss most from the winter…

At 7pm last Friday, it started when I found myself hurtling at Mach 2 round Hyde Park Corner. Unusual in London traffic anyway, but even more so as on this occasion, there were 400 of us…all on roller blades.

I'm not normally into skating (I've only just mastered stopping) so finding myself on the off-piste double black diamond of roller world was to say the least - a massive adrenalin rush! And what a laugh!!

We're talking carnival atmosphere, chilled tunes, cool people, fancy dress, big smiles, and lots of noise. Everyone's there for fun, everyone's friendly, everyone's happy, and everyone's got whistles…

Even the police escort think it's cool.

'Cos the thing with FNS (Friday Night Skate) is that it's all on the roads…London's busiest roads. There is nothing more surreal (or more likely to make you smile and your heart beat faster) than joining hundreds of skaters doing double laps round Trafalgar Square, while buses, taxis and tourists look on in absolute bemusement!

FNS is an 'organised' event which teams up every last Friday in the Month with the cycling campaign group, Critical Mass, to 'Reclaim the Streets'. There are loads of marshals with the skaters (as well as the police) to stop the traffic and keep everyone together, so you don't need to worry about being run over!

The course takes in all the best sights - Buck Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Downing Street (past it if not along it), Pall Mall, Soho, Oxford Street and Hyde Park Corner - and takes about 2 1/2 hours. It's not your usual Friday night in the pub, that's for sure, but as an evening out (and a great way of keeping fit and have fun), it definitely comes highly recommended!



FNS is free and on every Friday night (meet on The Beach by the Serpentine in Hyde Park). If you don't have your own skates you can hire some.

For more details of events and times check www.citiskate.com